


strategic manoeuvres

by ignitesthestars



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Chess Metaphors, F/M, Pre-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-09 03:04:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6886936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ignitesthestars/pseuds/ignitesthestars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A brief history in chess games.</p>
            </blockquote>





	strategic manoeuvres

Wanda loses.

It’s not intentional at first. She barely pays attention at first, staring at the game until the pieces morph into people, the board a battlefield. She would leave, except for the hint of earnestness in the Vision’s quiet voice as he explains again to her that the knight can only move in bent lines.

It is nice, she thinks, in moments when thinking isn’t its own horror, to have someone wish for her company.

-

The first time she asks him to play takes them both by surprise.

There’s nothing dramatic about it - she doesn’t come knocking on the door to his room dressed in a nightgown or anything. No, she’s curled up on the couch, idly toying with strands of red and a number of chess pieces in mid-air. The Vision, in all his dad-sweatered glory, walks past her for the fourth time in ten minutes.

Maybe he has a purpose. If he does, Wanda suspects the purpose is her. After watching him pass her - slowly - for the fifth time, she lets the pieces drop. One by one, back onto the board.

“You aren’t afraid.”

It’s a question, and it isn’t. _He’s_ not scared of her. That doesn’t mean he isn’t worried about the effects of using her powers.

It doesn’t mean he trusts her.

“No,” he says simply, and somehow an android manages to pack into one word what even Steve, with all his good intentions, has failed at.

She smiles before she knows she wants to, sitting up. “Sit,” she instructs, gesturing at the board. “…Please.”

He’s already moving.

-

“You don’t play with the others anymore,” she notes, moving a bishop to take one of his pawns, and leaving it wide open for his rook.

The Vision’s gaze flickers over the board. Wanda hides a small smile, noting the furrow of confusion working into his forehead.

“It seems they have gotten tired of losing.”

Tony Stark would be bragging if he said something like that. Most of the rest of her team, actually, would be bragging. Wanda has someone managed to make a place for herself amongst a group of amatuer comedians. But Vision - Vision is merely being honest. He is very good at chess. Wanda has given up trying to figure out if he’s even capable of not winning.

“Their loss,” she says mildly. The smile breaks free as he - hesitantly - takes her bishop.

He pauses in the middle of setting the piece down on the table. She’s playing white. “You have not improved.”

“No,” she agrees, moving a pawn for no discernable reason.

“You are getting worse.”

“Yes.”

There is another long pause. He takes in the board, before slowly lifting his gaze to hers. Wanda has found she doesn’t mind being stared at by the Vision.

“This is a different kind of challenge.” The light of realisation looks good on him. “You decided you couldn’t win, and so have been testing the various ways in which you might lose.”

“I didn’t want you to get bored.”

There’s more honesty in the words than she had intended, but…she doesn’t mind that either. Honesty feels safe, with him. She has so few concerns about being judged when it comes to the Vision.

“You need not worry about that,” he says. “But I admit; trying to discern your strategy has been a challenge. An enjoyable one.”

Wanda smiles again, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m having fun too.”


End file.
